Heading Out Solo & "Dramatic Personal Experiences" In Old-Time Tunes

US musician Willie Watson first brought his old-time sensibilities to global attention as a founding member of mountain revivalists Old Crow Medicine Show, but since parting ways with them in 2011 he's been splitting his time between esteemed Americana ensemble Dave Rawlings Machine and his burgeoning solo career.

Despite having numerous songwriting credits to his name Watson has so far favoured interpreting old and traditional folk songs in his current incarnation, best evidenced so far in his Rawlings-produced 2014 debut album Folk Singer, Vol 1. "I didn't know if I could ever be a solo artist: I was a 'band guy' and thought that I'd be in that band forever, and I didn't even know what playing solo was all about," he tells. "People were always telling me that I should do solo shows and I'd say, 'Oh no, I wouldn't know how to do that,' but over time I've sorta figured it out. It's a lot of fun, and it allows me to do whatever I want and not have to deal with a band situation."

"I want to sing good songs to people and I want to sing good songs for myself."

"It feels good being up there by myself and at the end of the night having had that experience with everybody. We all share in this musical experience which benefits all of us, and it's a really positive thing for everybody. Sometimes I'm concerned that I'm not necessarily doing enough for others in my life — that I'm not being of service to people or the general population of the world - but then I get out on the road and I realise that I guess I'm helping people out when they get to come to these shows and maybe forget about their day at work, and I maybe touch their hearts and souls in a way that they hadn't expected with the words of a song or something like that."

Watson loves being part of the folk tradition and wringing new life from these songs, many of which have been passed down for generations. "I'm just doing it because they're songs that I love and I just like to sing them," he smiles. "I get a lot out of it personally, and I just think they're good songs. And I want to sing good songs to people and I want to sing good songs for myself. The music that I play is such a big part of my life and I feel it so deeply."

"I have personal experiences when I sing these songs, especially when I'm on stage. I do at home too if I'm learning songs. I can still have these dramatic personal experiences just sitting on my couch and they're very emotional, but you get out on stage in front of a crowd of people and share that with people and it magnifies those feelings times a hundred."